Combination Locket
by Blue Quartz Foxy
Summary: A collection of various one shots and drabbles of Hibari/Chrome. Chrome Dokuro is a sucker for cute animals and Roll likes to eat Mist Flames for his lunches. Somehow they strike up a friendship, much to Hibari's annoyance  Future arc fic
1. Ten Years

Combination Locket

Notes: I got hooked on KHR two weeks ago and I love it to death. The manga sometimes confuses me and sometimes laugh out loud at how...ridiculous some of it is. I do love the characters though, namely Hibari and Chrome. I know I must be 'odd-girl' out since male/male seems to be the fandom of choice for this series, but I can't help but find Hibari/Chrome more appealing.

Anyway, this will be a short collection of one shots and drabbles based around that ship. I will be writing both current time line, TYL, and possibly a little beyond that. Also expect various ratings, but I'll keep everything here T and under. If I write any possible lemons for this couple they will be separate entries from this.

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Same goes for the characters. Just borrowing them for a little while.

–

Title: Ten Years

Rating: K

Setting: Present Time- after Future arc

Warning: Chibi cuteness and minor OOC-ness

–

The sudden plume of smoke made Tsuna's eyes water. He had just turned the corner to catch I-Pin and Lambo in order to herd them out of his school's courtyard before they got hurt...or got caught by a teacher. Clearing his throat with a cough, Tsuna glanced around.

Assuming it was the ten-year bazooka that went off, since Lambo tended to use a supposedly 'last resort' weapon at the drop of a hat; Tsuna had expected to see an older Lambo and maybe even I-pin in her ramen delivery uniform.

After a quick glance, he saw that five year old Lambo was stuck in a bush, struggling and crying. I-Pin had been knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, but she too was unharmed and her present age.

"Maybe it wasn't that bazooka" Tsuna wondered aloud. But, what had been fired then? Nothing seemed damaged.

"You."

Tsuna looked around. Over his shoulder. Then up. For a moment he wondered if it was Reborn, probably in some strange costume again and only around to make his life even more complicated. The teen thought he was right when something kicked his shin.

"Ouch! What the...Reborn why did you..." he looked down to find not Reborn staring up at him, but a tiny leader of the Disciplinary Committee.

"H-Hibari-san?" Tsuna asked, squatting down to get a better look at the five year old. Big mistake on his part, because Hibari didn't like him being so close and punched Tsuna in the face.

The teen rocked back on his heels, clutching a hand to his nose. "Owwww! Yeah...you're Hibari alright. Why are you so small..."

Little Hibari gave him a glare that made Tsuna quickly rethink what he was about to say, "So...young?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Because you're... Ouch!"

"I didn't give you permission to talk" little Hibari snapped after striking Tsuna across the face again.

'This guy...was that violent even as a kid? How did his parents put up with him?' Tsuna wondered. He also found it strange that Hibari was dressed in a buttoned up white shirt with a jacket hanging off his shoulders and dark pants, not so much as a wrinkle on his clothes. Apparently discipline, violence, and a sharp wardrobe has always been a part of Hibari's life.

"What's going on?" a timid voice spoke up. Tsuna blinked back tears of pain. He blinked again when he saw another small child. A girl this time, wearing a purple sundress. She had short violet hair and two large expressive eyes of the same color, the right eye missing the eye patch of her present self.

"You got hit by the gun too, Chrome?" Tsuna asked. The girl blinked, "Chrome? My name is Nagi. Who are you?"

"I'm..." Tsuna paused. This was very strange. He could almost excuse this as the ten year bazooka malfunctioning since Gokudera had gone through something similar. Only, Gokudera at least remembered that he was older only moments before and knew everyone around him.

Chrome and Hibari did not.

Lambo and I-Pin came running up to Tsuna and the new 'children' Guardians. "Wow, you're short!" Lambo yelled, getting in Hibari's face, "Ha! You're shorter than me...umph!" he grunted as Hibari elbowed him in the nose.

I-Pin yammered in a mixture of Japanese and Chinese, sinking into a fighting stance. Sure Lambo annoyed her, but she wouldn't stand by while some strange kid beat up her friend.

"Hey, hey stop it! No fighting!" Tsuna exclaimed as he picked up I-Pin, since she was safer to hold than the mini-Hibari.

However, after he had broken up one fight, Tsuna feared something worse was going to happen when Chrome, or rather Nagi; hesitantly approached Hibari from behind.

"Um...e-excuse me" she started.

The five year old boy turned suddenly, the tiny coat on his shoulders flaring out, "What is it?" he ground out.

'Crap. I need to separate them before this gets bad.' Tsuna thought. He tried to insert his leg between them, what with his hands busy holding a struggling I-Pin. This earned him another kick in the shin.

Tsuna winced, looking on as Hibari jumped over his leg and walked closer to Nagi.

"What?" Hibari asked again.

The girl floundered for a moment. Then she bowed and pleaded with the boy, "P-please stop hurting people!"

Tsuna's eyes widened as he saw Hibari raise a hand to the girl's bowed head. 'He's going to hit her too!' Tsuna thought. He dropped I-Pin in an effort to stop it. It was too late though.

Hibari raised his hand above Nagi's head, then swiftly brought it down. To pat her hair. For a moment, no one moved, save for mini-Hibari who seemed to be fascinated with Nagi's soft hair.

Finally, he spoke. "You're cute, like a fluffy purple bunny. I will call you, Hibunny."

"B-but, my name isn't Bunny. It's Nagi."

Hibari frowned. Again, Tsuna feared he'd hit the girl. Then, the child nodded, "Very well. Hinagi then."

"What?" Tsuna asked. His question was rendered irrelevant though, because in the next second another plume of smoke. Once it cleared out, Hibari and Chrome had returned as themselves of this time.

"Um..." Chrome looked around, "what just happened?"

Hibari didn't provide any answers, instead he turned to Chrome. The hostile air around him had returned, "I won't tell you again. Unless you're a student here, you shouldn't be on campus."

Tsuna's jaw dropped, 'This coming from the guy who graduated last year, yet still won't go to high school.'

Chrome nodded, "Understood" she answered. Chrome then turned to Tsuna, "I'm sorry if me being here caused any trouble."

'Trouble? That's an understatement.' Tsuna thought. Aloud though he laughed it off, "No it's fine. I didn't even know you were here until I saw you and Hibari-san."

"You have five seconds to leave, Mist Guardian. One."

Chrome didn't wait for 'two'. She quickly ran towards the gate of the school yard. Once she was gone, Hibari left in the opposite direction.

Now that he was alone with Lambo and I-Pin, Tsuna breathed a sigh of relief. That could have turned ugly.

Still, he wondered; why Chrome was at his school in the first place. Also, young Hibari's behavior to her was very bizarre.

Although he was curious as to why, Tsuna wasn't about to ask Hibari about it. For one thing, he didn't think Hibari would remember. Secondly, Tsuna valued his life more than satisfying his curiosity.

–

Later that afternoon, Lambo was taking a nap on Tsuna's bed. The exasperated teen moved the boy to a guest futon situated on in the corner of his room. Before Tsuna could sit down though, he saw a piece of paper that must have been stuck to Lambo's curly hair.

He skimmed the contents and looked at the signature at the bottom, signed by the head of the Bovino family.

"My apologizes Tenth Vongola for any trouble the ammo mix up might have caused. My staff got the ammunition for the ten year bazooka mixed up with shells from a another experimental project. Enclosed in the crate are some gifts as compensation..."

Tsuna paused in reading the letter. "Wait a minute. They're making more crazy time machine guns!"

–

Notes: My apologizes if I drifted too far into OOC territory. My only excuse is that I'm new to the series and still working out characterizations of everyone. Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope to do


	2. First Will and Testament

Title: First Will and Testament  
Author: BlueQuartz  
Rating: PG-13(?)  
Warnings: Possible spoilers if you haven't read/watched up to TYL arc  
Summary: TYL (Chapter 169) He didn't understand. It was so difficult to move or even breathe without Mukuro-san there.  
Theme: 10 Breathe Again

–  
Swimming in a black sea of silence and calm, Chrome tried to call out to her master. A moment ago she had heard him screaming inside her head. It sounded like he was in great pain. Maybe, while she was bed ridden and unable to do anything to help; he was lying somewhere. Dying.

Now it was quiet. Anything she tried to say kept bouncing back to Chrome as echoes. Any minute now, she assured herself; any minute now she'd hear his voice. He'd scold her for being needlessly panicking. For being so worried.

She waited. Waited. Waited...

Then, reality hit her.

'He's not here. Mukuro-san...isn't coming back.'

The shock wave of that realization reverberated throughout her body. Chrome could feel her body collapse in on itself. Her mouth tasted like cooper as violent coughs brought up blood.

She could hear the commotion around her. The beeping of the machines. The rumble of footsteps and dissonance of many voices flooded her ears. None of that mattered. Her body was finished. Mukuro-san wasn't going to come around and make it right again. Her head felt like someone had split it wide open with a cleaver. Her muscles twitched, stiffened, then convulsed again. White flashes of sensation so strong and terrible it left her breathless. Not that it mattered, because he wasn't coming back.

A familiar thought crept upon her, slid it's arms around her neck and whispered into Chrome's ear, 'Maybe I should...let go.'

It would be better, she decided; to not be in so much pain. It would be better, if they could find someone better to serve the boss. Someone who didn't depend on others so much...

Speaking of her boss, Chrome recognized his voice above everything else. Slowly, reluctantly, she opened her uncovered eye to see him at the foot of her bed. He looked pale and worried. Chrome wanted to tell him not to worry, but she couldn't speak. Even if she could, what would she say?

'I'm sorry, Boss. I gave up on myself too quickly.'

Chrome's eye tried to close on it's own, just as Tsuna turned his head to face the door, so someone else must have walked in.

"Out of the way."

Dimly, Chrome wondered who had just pushed her boss aside. She didn't recognize the voice. Before the question could fully form itself though, the young woman felt cold hands move behind her back.

Someone was lifting her up. Forcing her left eye to open, even if it was just a sliver; Chrome stared in the face of...someone she had never met before. Yet, at the same time she had seen him before. It was too confusing.

The way he was looking at her...

Chrome wanted to stare back at him, but at the same time twist her head and look away.

"If you die, we'll all be in trouble."

She didn't want to listen. He didn't understand. It was too difficult to move or even breathe without Mukuro-san. If he had died, what was the point?

This stranger seemed to know something she didn't. Chrome tried her best to keep her eye open and stay focused on him, looking for something in his face. A reason to believe and cling to life.

Chrome found herself disappointed, because his expression was stern with a distant look in his dark eyes. He wasn't going to coo words of encouragement to her. He wasn't going to coddle or coax her into in staying. The man holding her upright had simply stated the truth.

She was scared. It had never crossed Chrome's mind what would happen if Mukuro-san was no longer there to keep her organs on fictitious life support.

Chrome wasn't aware when everyone else clear out of the room. Only thing she was conscious of was how gently she was eased back onto the bed. The man took something out, holding it up to Chrome's uncovered eye.

'The ring?' she thought, forcing down a cough as her body was rocked with tremors again.

"Use your Mist ring. From this moment on, keep yourself alive."

Chrome wanted to explain. He was asking for the impossible. No, for a miracle to occur. Mukuro-san was the one with the power to create illusions. Not her.

He must have sensed her hesitation, because the stranger his lost patience. He took Chrome's right hand and put the ring. "Do it or die. It's your decision now. We don't have the equipment, transplant organs, or a surgeon to fix you. No one else is capable of saving you."

'I can't! You are asking me to do something that I can't possibly...' Chrome closed her eye. Since he remained so stubborn in the resolve to watch her die, Chrome resigned herself to humor this strange man.

She opened her left eye again, looking down at the ring. Was it just in her head or did she as small gleam on the stone's surface?

"Not good enough. You are going to have resolve yourself to stay alive. Focus intently on that will to live."

'What do I live for?' Chrome wondered. Just as the prospect of Mukuro-san leaving her had never crossed Chrome's mind, the resolve to live for something was a strange and foreign concept.

She thought about Mukruo-san. No. Chrome knew he couldn't be her reason anymore. His subordinates never really saw her as their friend. Only as some girl whom had a connection with their 'leader'. They wouldn't care if she went missing. Also, if it wasn't for the Mist ring and her connection to Mukuro-san, would the Boss and everyone else want anything to do with her?

"The flame is dying out on your ring. You probably won't be too far behind. There must be something you want to live for."

'Please...stop talking.' Chrome wanted to say. Her head ached so badly and now there were tears of frustration in her eyes. She didn't know what this man wanted from her. As Nagi, before Mukuro-san came to her; she had nothing worth waking up for. How was she suddenly supposed to formulate her life's purpose right this second?

The girl gasped and coughed, air robbed from weak lungs as her bed was suddenly jerked around. It was only after Chrome saw his raised leg, did she realize he had nearly kicked the bed out from underneath her.

"Do it" he commanded. "It doesn't matter what you want to live on for. It could be anger for all I care. Be pissed off at me, if you must. Whatever. I refuse to stand by and let you die peacefully."

Briefly, her ring did flare up in response to anger. He could have done some serious damage by pulling that stunt. Still, she couldn't hate him either. Chrome sensed there was something...some reason he was so dogmatic about forcing her to live.

The burdensome question returned to the dying girl's mind. 'What do I live for?'

Closing her eye, the girl tried to clam her mind, for even though her body was a wreak and she was feeling increasingly weaker; Chrome needed to think clearly.

She was tired. Tired of him talking down to her. Tired of being ignored, unless someone needed Mukuro-san. Tired of having her life in someone's hands.

"I..." blood dripped from her lips. "I want...to be stronger." Chrome croaked out between gasps. A weak purple colored pupil opened, gazing up at her antagonistic advocate. She wondered if her answer would satisfy him.

Chrome caught him staring at the Mist ring. A few minutes passed by, each sixty seconds marked with Chrome struggling to picture the phantom organs. Weaving a flawless illusion she had to put absolute faith in. A reality where she was whole and healthy, if a bit tired.

At some point, Chrome drifted off to sleep. It came as a surprise to the girl when she woke up. After a few days of bed rest and food, Chrome learned the identity of the mystery man.

Kyoya Hibari. Or rather the him of the future.

Notes: Nowhere near romantic or even cute funny fluff as my first ficlet, but I felt the need to try my hand at exploring more of Chrome's character. Plus, I love that scene in chapter 169 even I probably read more into than what was originally intended to be there.

Thanks for reading!  
-


	3. Disciplinary Action

Title: Disciplinary Action

Series: KHR

Pairing: Mukuro/Chrome/Hibari

Rating: PG-13/T

Warning: Mild sensuality

Notes: 2 years after canon, making Chrome about 15

–

A summer breeze caressed a carpet of grass and wild flowers. A blue sky above them, bed of green at their feet. This is where they first met, before 'Nagi' became Chrome. For almost three years, the wildflower field had been 'their' place and only theirs.

Which is why it came as a mild shock when Mukuro to spy another figure occupying Elysian. After only a moment of looking to the intruder, then up to the blue sky to watch clouds gathering, Mukuro smirked.

Looking back at the boy, Mukuro recognized the jacket, the red fabric pinned to a right sleeve and a fluffy yellow bird perched on the teenager's shoulder. One didn't have to be a genius to put two and two together. However, superior intellect was required for the delicate web he was scheming to weave.

"Who is this, Chrome?"

The purple haired girl tilted her head, hands all but hidden in thick grass. Slender legs stretched out before her, frail body covered by a thin white cotton dress, feet bury so as to be kissed by dew-dotted grass. A single violet colored eye stared up her master, "Who, Mukuro-sama?" Chrome questioned in return.

"This...boy standing in our field." Mukuro said schooling his tone to sound a mix of caution and curiosity.

Chrome twisted around to stare in the direction Mukuro was looking. His gaze gravitated away from the curious intruder in the distance, now watching Chrome's expression change. Like him, she too seemed surprised to find Hibari there. Then the significance of his identity dawned on her. Cheeks flushed with color, Chrome turned her gaze back at Mukuro.

"It's...Cloud Man. I don't know why he's here."

Mukuro skillfully switched from 'curious' to 'furious'. Wrinkles creased his forehead, lips fixed in a stern line, a noticeable sharpness in his mismatched gaze.. Chrome searched his eyes for comfort in his red and blue eye, since his face lacked compassion.

"I think I know." Moving fluidly, Mukuro bent down to pick up his green jacket, shrugging it onto his shoulders.

"Apparently, I'm not enough for you, Chrome. I suppose it was only a matter of time. You are a young woman, so naturally your thoughts turn to boys you can see and touch in person." Scandalized, the girl shook her head, "N-no that's not it! Mukuro-sama, I honestly don't know why he's here! You have to believe me..."

Like a butterfly flapping it's wings dangerously close to a spider's webbing, Chrome inched towards the trap set for her.

"Since it's obvious you don't need me Chrome, maybe I should leave."

"No!" the girl exclaimed, rising to her feet. Fists clenched his jacket, the girl begged "Mukuro-sama, you've got it all wrong. I would never...he...please you have to believe me! Don't go."

Normally, the most hardened man would be putty when a shivering terrified woman gripped them. Mukuro was far from normal. Where someone else might have embraced the innocent girl, held and shielded her, while apologizing for the baseless accusations, Mukuro only smiled with his back to her.

"I'm sure you'll find everything I'm missing, in him. Goodbye, Chrome." Tilting his head to the right, a glance over his shoulder Mukuro saw how pale Chrome looked. Her left eye wide with tears gathering in the corners.

" I won't contact you again. Don't...worry about your organs though, I'll still keep those going. This is just the end of our...partnership."

As he vanished with the wind, Mukuro only had to look at Chrome's distressed expression and the boy in the distance to know his plan would work accordingly.

–

Mukuro is a patient man. He knew the best results came to fruition all in good time. Such a delicate person his Chrome, one who craved the affection she had been starved of. In the end, Mukuro decided three days of silence were enough.

Enough to make Chrome panic. Enough to make her willing to apologize for anything, even things that were not her fault. Enough...to make her will bend just a little more in his direction.

He returned to the field of flowers to find the formerly blue sky darkened by gray clouds. The flowers stripped naked of their lovely petals. His surroundings smelled of fresh and wet earth, as if it had been soaked by a heavy rain recently. He could feel the electric charge of lightning and hear distant thunder rumbles.

Judging by the state of their paradise, Chrome must have spent a lot of time with the Vongola Guardians recently. Whatever happened there left a strong impact on her. Perhaps some words had been exchanged. A kind gesture or two. Something to draw her closer to them and further away from his control.

Mukuro's upper lip curled into a slight scowl. He regretted being gone for so long. He wasn't worried about Chrome being wooed away from his side. The girl belonged to him. Minus the occasional stray incidents of her finding comforts in other beings; Chrome would always return when people became too overwhelming. However, Mukuro felt pissed off at himself for a missed opportunity. If Chrome interacted more with Tsuna's little Mafia, then he would have had a chance at possessing the Tenth Boss.

'No matter. I'll get him some other time.' Mukuro mused. Right now he had to find Chrome, who seemed to be hiding from him at the moment.

–

On the contrary, Chrome stood out in the open, she hadn't felt Mukuro return to the field so the girl remained where she stood. Sitting on a rock, she quietly watched the sky change. The times she visited here before meeting the Vongola family and Boss, the sky stayed a constant calm, crisp and clear blue. During those times, Mukuro-sama had been her entire world. He not only saved Chrome from certain death, but an identity and a place to belong as well.

. Things were changing. There were too many connections and people involved in her life for the girl's emotional state, reflected in the sky above, to always stay calm.

Pulling her knees closer, Chrome tucked her chin and wondered if these changes were good or bad.

She wasn't given much time to think about it, because one minute she looked at a sky, the next a ceiling. Chrome jerked at the abrupt scenery change, nearly falling of a sofa in the process. Only by the grace of a steadying hand from the person beside her which kept Chrome from tumbling to the floor.

"I've been thinking..." Hearing Mukuro's voice surprised Chrome, so she turned to face him in an instant. Pale cheeks stained with pale pink color, her lips slightly parted and body stiff, afraid to move should this turn out to be a delusion.

The man smiled, "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you, my cute little Chrome. You must understand though, I'm not a man who shares easily."

Chrome withheld insisting her master did not have to share, yet the words stayed firmly on her tongue. She could tell by looking in his mismatched eyes that there was still more. Since Mukuro-sama had a lot to say to her, Chrome kept her silence. Hands clasped together, resting on the pleats of her white dress; the girl waited to listen attentively to Mukuro.

However, Mukuro seemed to be in no hurry to talk. After his grip eased off Chrome's forearm, allowing her to sit back, the girl's shoulders stiffened on a reflex when she felt his left arm settle behind her back. To make matters worse, Mukuro's fingers were playfully twisting locks of her indigo hair. Abruptly, Chrome mentioned someone complaining about her hairstyle. Hibari-san had called it an 'eyesore', since her hairstyle too closely resembled Mukuro's. Lately though, Chrome found her hair out growing the half up-do. Now, in her master's hands, the strands were loose and less likely to offend...

Upon realizing her thoughts were straying to 'that person', the one who made Mukuro-sama so angry at her last time, Chrome's body went rigid as her mind scrambled to get away from thinking about him.

"Relax, Chrome. The real fun hasn't even started yet." Mukuro assured. Chrome found herself staring at his enigmatic smile, wondering what he meant by 'fun', when the door to the room suddenly opened.

"What are you doing here?"

"Impeccable timing, as always." Mukuro remarked, hiding a smirk behind Chrome's hair as he kissed the back of her head. Of course he would be, since the being came about from Mukuro's illusion, masquerading itself as Kyoya Hibari. Only difference being Chrome wasn't in on this little slide of hand. Without missing a beat, Mukuro recited the script written by him. His eyes slyly glanced up from the top of Chrome's head, staring at the tense boy standing in the doorway. Dark hair combed forward, cold dark eyes, and a near perpetual scowl.

"I'm sorry, are we intruding?"

No sooner had the last syllable left his lips did Mukuro's head snapped backwards, from the force of a tonfa smashed into his face. Chrome jumped up in her haste to dodge another follow-through swing of Hibari-san's left arm. Violet bangs ruffled from the missed strike yet she would not stop just because Hibari missed, instead the girl backtracked until her legs hit against a wall.

When Hibari turned to properly face her, Chrome trembled a little. His eyes were so cold and everything about the young man before her screamed 'predator'. Chrome's first instinct is to check on Mukuro-sama, who hadn't moved since being knocked to the floor.

Yet self-preservation screamed at Chrome to run away. With Hibari-san there were only two reactions: fight or flight. And one never willingly fought against the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, unless they were stupid or desperate. Chrome knew herself to be neither.

Caught in between bolting and throwing herself in front of Mukuro-sama, Chrome felt no comfort in hearing her master's soft chuckling. Over Hibari's shoulder, the girl watched Mukuro rise up from the floor.

"Amusing. I really can't...I guess this is what it feels like to be speechless." the illusion user mused, following his words up with more laughter. Despite having him inside her head most of the time, Chrome felt very confused as to what her master was up to. Questions about motives and intentions had to be put on hold, because Hibari noticed Mukuro and looked prepared to attack again.

"L-look out!" she called as the Cloud Guardian effortlessly twisted his form around, aiming to catch Mukuro under the chin. Chrome flinched, eye closed tightly and hands against her chest as if bracing herself for the recoil.

She remain stiff and still, waiting to hear the awful sound of brute force hitting human bone. After a few moments of hearing nothing of the sort, Chrome reluctantly opened her left eye. Raising her head, she saw Hibari was completely still. Frozen. And Mukuro-sama wasn't in front of him to take the beating.

"...where?" she uttered softly. Her answer came in the form of a chuckle and a hand gently tucked under her chin.

"Foolish, sweet Chrome. You forget so easily who's world this is."

Finally, it clicked with her. The flower field and the room...were all of Mukuro-sama's creation. As if understanding, Chrome broke away from Mukuro's touch. Gingerly, she approached the stilled form of Hibari.

"Then...he also...isn't real." Chrome stated rather than questioned, yet the Mist Guardian knew to be cautious about making assumptions of her master's powers.

"Oh he's as real as you wish him to be, Chrome."

Mukuro waited until Chrome fully circled the 'false' Hibari, before snapping his fingers. At first, the fictitious clone didn't move. Then Chrome blinked, perhaps expecting Hibari-san to react to the sound. A sliver of doubt, but that's all Mukuro needed to make an illusion and seamlessly weave it into a new reality.

As Chrome peered into the teenager's face, Hibari scowled before putting down his tonfa into their holsters. Chrome wasn't fooled into thinking he was going to suddenly turn gentle though. Hibari had proven time and time again, to her and others, he didn't need weapons to hurt people. Whether armed or not, Chrome felt her breath catch when Hibari-san approached.

"M-Mukuro-sama?" she muttered. At first her eyes went to sofa he had been leaning against, only to find it vacant. She couldn't see him in any of the corners of the room, one of which she slowly backing into as Hibari came ever closer. She also couldn't feel his presence. Not in the room or even inside her head.

The girl tried not to cower as Hibari all but drove her to squeeze against a wall. She flinched and squirmed as his right hand clenched tightly around a green top barely covering her torso. Before now, Chrome hadn't even been aware her clothing changed from a dress to her old Kokuyo Middle uniform. Now though, she was all too keenly conscious of how her fifteen year old body just didn't fit right into the clothes of the past.

"This outfit is not only the wrong school, but violates every single dress code for female students." Hibari ground out. Chrome made the mistake of looking him in the eye. The girl felt chilled to the very bone as to how the Cloud Guardian glared at the olive green cloth in his hands.

"I...I'm sorry." Chrome uttered while quickly forcing her eye to look else, honestly unsure of what else to say.

'I could fight back, but for how long...' the girl wondered. Hibari was a force to reckoned with when calm. She didn't want to think how a conflict between them would end, if the uniform irritated him.

All thought of escape quickly left the girl as Hibari eased the right tonfa out of it's holster. Once the metal is in his hands, Chrome shuddered as he slowly raised the tonfa to ghost across pale and smooth skin of her thighs.

"Your skirt is at least five centimeters too short. Mid-drift is exposed. ...disgusting. Are you trying to tempt other herbivores to take you?" Pleated fabric creased, barely covering her as the metal stick slowly slid up.

"S-stop!" Chrome exclaimed as instinct came rushing at her full force. She realized the mistake too late too correct it. Chrome found her hands extended out, pressed against Hibari's uniform shirt, bony digits pressing wrinkles on the white button up fabric. Chrome didn't have to look at Hibari's face to feel impending doom. Underneath her palms, Chrome felt him inhale sharply as if their abrupt contact startled him almost as it did her.

In the blink of an eye, the moment passed. Hibari roughly grabbed both her wrists with one hand and pushed her back. Chrome didn't need to be told she had screwed up. Big time. Hibari did not like being touched and he did not touch people. Period. This was about to get worse than she imagined.

"Or is it?"

Chrome couldn't help but look away from the dangerous boy. Her gaze roved over the man seated on the couch. Pants legs creased from his right leg propped against the left knee, his torso covered by a gray camo shirt, jacket draped lazily on his shoulders. In short, Mukuro looked quite comfortable watching her being all but molested.

The illusion user tilted his head slightly, "What is it, Chrome? Are you afraid of your Cloud Man?"

She almost said 'yes'. The Hibari-san she knew ,although often angry at everyone and quick to resort to violence; would never do so shameful as feeling up a girl, under the guise of reading her the right act about rules.

Mukuro leaned forward, hands clasped under his chin. "I find it very interesting that you think so highly of this man. I wonder, will this esteem you have towards him... over power your devotion to me, Chrome?"

"Never" Chrome said confidently. Her words only made Mukuro chuckle. "He seems to think otherwise" her master remarked.

Before Chrome could even blink, Hibari pushed into the corner, her thin and breakable body pressed uncomfortably up close and personal with the wall.

Although his expression retained it's previous degree between concealed anger and indifference, Chrome felt the charge of electricity. Something had snapped in this false Hibari.

"I can't stand weak idiots like you. Sheep. You're all sheep, herding together for protection and bleating for help."

As he said this, Hibari leaned in closer. His fingers roughly grabbed the top of Chrome's head, forcing her to look at him. Fury. Pure hatred in his eyes, as if she were the lowest creature to walk the Earth. Yet, Chrome also felt something else. Not in his eyes, but how Hibari-san held her. At some point in their one-side exchange he had put away the tonfa. Now, his hands were on Chrome's clothing. Touching without touching, since there is cloth between them.

"Let's see how much you'll bleed, little sheep. After I bite you." His threat sounded so cold, but Chrome could feel Hibari's heated breath on her neck. He didn't bother with tender kisses along the column of skin, instead his mouth open and teeth grated before his jaw clamped down.

She screamed in pain while Mukuro-sama chuckled softly at his vessel's plight.

–

Startled, Chrome bolted upright in bed while desperately gasping for air. In the dark of night, trembling hands flew to her neck. She felt nothing but smooth, if sweat drenched; skin. Unmarred and free blood. Once she lowered her hands Chrome felt overwhelmed by something she could only describe as relief.

'Did you have a good dream, my sweet Chrome?'

Any normal person would have yelled at the bastard who had played such a dirty trick. Anyone else, would have asked why Mukuro put them through such an emotional roller coaster. Why he felt the need to tarnish, destroy, and burn their view of another human being.

Chrome, on the other hand, did none of these things. Instead, she drew to a conclusion formulated only after spending years of intimate knowledge exchanged between her and the prisoner.

"This was a test. You wanted me to prove...my loyalty to you, Mukuro-sama."

'Very good.' Chrome tried to smile, because inside her head she could picture Mukuro's pleased expression and it felt wonderful to be praised. Yet, she couldn't get facial muscles to cooperate. Not when one particular question weighed heavily on her mind.

"Mukuro-sama...if I may ask. Why did you pick Hibari-san...to be my test?" Chrome could think of at least ten people she had more frequent contact with. None of them being Hibari. Thus, she couldn't help but question her master's reasoning for choosing the Cloud Guardian.

'Hm. I wonder' Mukuro mused along with her. A tense moment of complete silence lapsed in Chrome's room, before Mukuro offered the curious girl a breadcrumb trail to follow.

'All I will say is... 'most' of that realm and that particular Hibari, I picked from his brain.'

The warm expression that she pictured when he praised her was no more, instead Chrome felt a touch chilled by how smug her master sounded.

'Maybe. You should ask Hibari sometime why he has a strong fetish for girls in school uniforms. Be sure to mention the biting, while you're at it.'

Chrome shook her head. After the 'test' and what Mukuro-sama said about her fellow Guardian, the last place the girl ever wanted to be was around Hibari-san. Let alone in private to ask him such inappropriate questions.

'Good girl. You've passed.' Mukuro soothed. With her mind at ease, Chrome laid back in bed. Another hour or so and she was asleep. Since there was no rest for the wicked, Mukuro remained awake and alert. He wasn't fooled into thinking one 'bad dream' would drive an impassable wedge between his Chrome and the Vongola family.

Still, he supposed, it was a start.

–

Notes: Something a bit dark and slight angsty to contrast with the first chapter fluff. Thanks for reading.


	4. Tolerate

Title: Tolerate

Rating: PG

Theme: Annoyance

For: Cute-Saki, thank you so much for the encouragement/kind reviews and yay for 1896 fandom!

Setting: TYL- post kids saving the future/ the adults of that timeline returning

Side Note: A continuation of 'First Will and Testament' but can stand alone too.

He didn't normally entertain guests at this late hour; however...it was very difficult to turn her away.

Back leaning against the doorway, sliding barrier open to a summer time garden of a cricket-and-frog chorus; Kyoya waited for her to speak because forcing her to say something wouldn't get them anywhere.

"I couldn't sleep..."

Common sense begged to ask what on earth her insomnia had to do with him, yet he had long since learned to throw out conventional wisdom when it came to the Mist. They defied, warped, and bent reality to suit their whims. She just happened to be the least grievous offender, so he'd allow the intrusion. Kyoya Hibari found himself making a lot of exceptions as it concerned her. Just this once, he told himself, only to turn around and have to put up with something else.

"I…I'm sorry, that's not what I came here for. Well…actually it is. Or part of it." He heard a heavy sigh and without looking at the young woman, Kyoya pictured her wringing hands before clasping them together.

"It's been…years."

"Five" he clarified. But really, who was counting all the time, man power, and money he spent into looking for the person sitting across from him. Not him.

Silence followed his interjection. Thinking she had lost her nerve again, Kyoya turned his head a little and observed. Too thin, were the first words to come to mind. She had always been pale and, considering her 'circumstances', a picky eater. Yet, the person before him seemed sunken and hollow. Not just in appearance though, something deeper.

Chrome's uncovered eye stared at the woven mats covering the floor, hands folded on her tucked knees, completely unaware of being watched. This wasn't right. She was almost an insult to the memory, the Chrome Dokuro of five years ago. Back then she had struggled, fought and risked her life for the family. Not quite an 'equal' in his eyes, but less burdensome than some of the others.

Five years and one person turning his back on Chrome had reduced her to…less. Less than what she once was before being captured. And maybe the regression went beyond what Kyoya knew. He had met the younger version, the girl-Chrome who clung onto a life she wasn't even sure she wanted to live. And even 'she' had more of a fighting spirit than the person in front of him.

"Contrary to rumors, I am not nocturnal."

Chrome glanced up, a bemused expression on her face. "Meaning, I don't have all night." Kyoya clarified, becoming irritated at her silence. "Oh…sorry…" she mumbled.

He was about to tell her off for the constant apologizes. Saying 'sorry' meant nothing if she was going to keep annoying him in the same ways over and over again.

"Hibari-san, I want to know…where my place is."

Gray eyes blinked, "Shouldn't this be a talk between you and Sawada then?" He hardly meddled with Vongola affairs unless they bothered him enough to make it his business.

"That's the thing, Boss…or anyone for that matter won't tell me anything!" Chrome blurted out then blushed with a hand going to her mouth. Clearing her throat, in an attempt to recover from the outburst, she tried sounding composed and calm again.

"I'm worried that there isn't a place in Vongola for two Mist Guardians."

If she was expecting coddling, Chrome came to the wrong place, "You're right. There isn't room for two of you. In fact, the fewer Mist, the better." Kyoya replied.

Chrome flinched, but he hardly felt inclined to apologize for speaking the truth. His gaze drifted over to the Mist ring. A swelling of pride came upon him, quicker than Kyoya could squash it down; when he saw an indigo flame encircling the ring. While her spirit and seeming regression back to a hollow-person greatly disappointed him, at least one thing had improved: she was no longer dependant on Mukuro in order to survive.

"…what should I do then?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kyoya goaded. Honestly, if she wanted sympathy, the woman could have come to his house at a decent hour.

The doleful look she gave him made the young man want to roll his eyes. Did he have to spell everything out? Apparently so because she was such a meek little (_herbivore) _pacifist

"Eventually, you're going to have to fight him for the position, much like you fought in his place with Mammon."

His response to her stunned expression and pallor was just as eviscerating, "No one expects you to kill him, of course. It'd be a miracle if you 'do' manage to win, let alone incapacitate or murder."

It went without saying the death of one of the Guardians –even if it was a 'spare- would upset Sawada. The mafia boss was just about as pitiful as Chrome when it came to his…feelings. Not to mention, he and the illusionist still had a score to settle. And that would be difficult to accomplish if Chrome did manage to deal significant damage.

"What if…I can convince him not to work for the Vongola family anymore?"

Now she was angling for diplomacy. How charming. "You seem to forget who you're talking about. Unless you're willing to hand Tsunayoshi's body to him on a silver platter Chrome, I doubt there's anything you can entice him with."

He was all but daring the young woman to be bold enough to get indignant and defend her former 'master'. Kyoya needed only an excuse and he'd counter it. Because even after being 'abandoned' Chrome had her blinders on and the quicker she woke up, the better off everyone involved would be.

Not that he was involved. Rather, Kyoya saw himself as a judge, an observer who could see where the key players were wandering into: namely a pitfall.

However, Chrome said nothing in defense of Mukuro. Curious about the silence, Kyoya tilted his head to her again, only to find Chrome had moved away from her seat-cushion and was kneeling mere centimeters away from him.

Too close for his comfort. It was fine when he was observing her, however the scrutiny she had on him now made Kyoya feel anxious and he didn't cope with that sort of reaction very well. He stiffened involuntarily, a warning of her 'crowding' him on the tip of his tongue. For once, the young woman beat Kyoya to the punch.

"If…when I win, will you acknowledge me? Will you address me as the Mist Guardian?" Chrome asked.

He didn't even have to think of an answer. "When you win, I'll loath you just as I do everything having to do with the Mist."

Color returned to her face, namely a soft blushing pink before Chrome pushed off the floor and rose up to stand. She bowed, "Thank you for taking the time to see me, Hibari-san. I'm sorry for…" she stopped apologizing thanks to a look he gave her.

"Thank you…" Chrome repeated before rising up at full height again. The young woman smoothed her business suit skirt before walking over to the door and picking up black heeled shoes. The closing door signaled her departure. Still, Kyoya couldn't let this night go on without taking on extra precaution.

As if sensing its master's need, Hibird fluttered into view and perched on the porch awning. The yellow bird peered down at the man wearing a black yukata.

Kyoya only had to nod before the bird took off again, whistling a familiar tune while taking flight to follow the Mist woman's car. Left alone, Kyoya puzzled over the woman's smile. In his opinion, Chrome shouldn't look so happy at the prospect of being 'loathed'.

Then again, she was just like a Mist user: unfathomable, a trickster and above all annoying. Therefore, the less Kyoya thought about Chrome Dokuro, the better off he'd be. Or so he told himself.

Notes: First time trying to really get into TYL Hibari's psyche as a character. Hopefully I didn't make him too OOC. Anyway, thanks for reading.


	5. Taking You With Me

Title: Taking You with Me

Rating: PG-13/T

Setting: One of the alternate realities where Byakuran and Millefiore family are in control- tentatively the timeline twenty five year old Lambo came from.

Warning: Angst, speculation and a rather dark piece over all.

Additional Note: Part One of Three

She walked into an empty middle school, being flanked by members of the Hibari's organization who led right into the Reception Room. When she was picked up from Kokuyo, she could sense the atmosphere was tense but when one is surrounded by at least six of Hibari's men, you don't ask questions.

Now that she was inside Nami-chu, Chrome quickly glanced around, Lambo and I Pin were sitting side by side on the sofa and Hibari-san stood in the center of the room. Both teenagers looked pale and wide-eyed like frightened rabbits huddled together in their hutch. Hibari-san was…he looked the same, emotionless and didn't give them any gentle words. He spoke only the truth, refusing to sugar-coat no matter how bad the situation was.

"Sawada was murdered this morning. Rain and Storm were killed as well. No word on the whereabouts of Sun and the other Mist."

Chrome recalled feeling like the world had imploded and she was left drifting out in a vacuum of space where light and sound couldn't reach her. A great feeling of heavy nothingness…

Yet, she couldn't stand there and soak in shocked apathy because Lambo started crying. Although it wasn't unusual for the Lightning Guardian to give into his weaknesses and bawl at how unfair he had been treated or when he was scared. This was more like the cry of a wounded animal though.

Feeling so raw and shaken, Chrome couldn't stop herself from walking across the room to the sofa he and I Pin occupied. Chrome sank to her knees, not even caring Hibari-san was watching their every move or if he thought their emotions were cripplingly feeble reactions; Chrome opened her arms and embraced the teenager.

It was a very awkward hold, since Chrome was not used to embracing people- or being held for that matter- but Lambo accepted it. The awkwardness, her stiff skinny arms, and uncomfortable shifting of weight since Chrome couldn't decide how tight a hug had to be to be both comfortable and appropriate. None of that seemed to matter to Lambo, who was still a scared teenage boy; whose world had collapsed with a few simple words.

In fact, it wasn't just his world. Chrome could feel it coming up in her too. It started with a sick cold sensation curling in her gut which left her breathless, a lot like a sucker punch; not too similar to how it felt to have her organs disappear.

'No word…on the other Mist.'

For a moment she feared, what if Mukuro-sama were somewhere. Hurt. Alone. About to die. Of course if he died, that meant she was next. And dying while holding Lambo just might be enough to shatter the boy's already fragile state. She had to say something, or panic would seize her. Panic would lead to crying, then hysterics because it was just so damn bizarre how all of this happened in one day and she couldn't cope with being assaulted by so much grief and fear.

If that happen, Hibari-san might feel it best to shoot her, like some animal stricken with rabies. And Chrome rather liked living, even if it hurt so much right now to do so.

"We'll be okay." Chrome said, first as a hollow formality.

"Will you? Even if the Vongola is no longer a whole mafia family, I doubt Millefiore has any reservations about who to target next." Hibari returned, ripping her comforting words into tatters. Chrome looked over Lambo's hunched and shivering shoulders, her gaze looking directly at Hibari.

"We'll be okay…because Hibari-san and Namimori's Foundation are here." Chrome stated. She was throwing her lot in with someone who could easily turn them away. He was not obligated to help them, not since Boss was dead and the Vongola family was in ruins.

She hoped. Prayed for even just an ounce of decency or at least some sense of responsibility, if not to her then at least to the children. I Pin was a martial arts master and former child- assassin, but she couldn't take down everyone by herself. Lambo had his flashes of occasional brilliance and strength, but overall cowardly and ineffective in battle.

"I understand that you won't offer protection to me" she said while stroking Lambo's hair, the boy's sobs softened by him pressing against her shoulder, "However, Lambo-kun and I Pin-chan…are just children. They won't make it on their own."

Please…

Chrome kept her gaze steady on Hibari despite quivering inside because he terrified her so much. Their fate was in his hands, but he had yet to look at her.

Please…

Chrome reached over and squeezed I Pin's hand. Even if she was keeping herself together better than Lambo, Chrome knew the girl had to be going through her own turmoil.

At long last, eye contact. Chrome tried not to flinch away or show any fear in her eye. "Foundation will accept them, so long as they don't become a burden." Relieved, Chrome eased away from Lambo and reached over to hug I Pin before turning to bow to the 'chairman'. As she bent to the waist, it felt like a boulder-sized weight had rolled off her shoulders. Lambo and I Pin wouldn't be her responsibility and they'd be safe in Hibari's hands.

"Thank you."

She pulled away, trying to ignore the strings of snot, tears and salvia left behind by Lambo sobbing into her shoulder, though she would have to get the spots out later. Chrome moved to pat the boy's head, but then thought better of it. No sense acting all motherly to him now. That sort of affection towards Lambo always came from Nana-san, Haru-san and Kyoko-san.

Chrome felt her insides twist and clench again. Were they okay? If the Millefiore was going after the Vongola, wouldn't they target family and friends next?

'And if they are…what can I do about it?' Chrome asked herself. Despite it being cowardly, Chrome decided she should be concerned about her own safety first. Saving what little remained of their world would come after. Not that Chrome had any delusions about being any one's protector. Yet, she also wanted to help because Boss, and anyone connected to him over the years; had shown Chrome so much kindness by allowing her to be. Chrome wanted to return the favor and protect whoever was left or at least put them someplace safe. Even if she had to 'create' that safe place…

Foremost though, would be survival. Then, she could go from there.

Hibari didn't say she was under Foundation's protection, so the young woman took that a not so subtle hint to get lost. Now as to where she would go in order to 'get lost' or if she died right outside the school gates, Chrome figured he wouldn't care so long as her corpse didn't bloody the sidewalk in front of Nami-chu.

With such grim thoughts weighing on her mind, Chrome got off her knees, squeezing I Pin's hands one more time, only this time to reassure herself since the girl would be safe; then stood up to leave the Reception Room.

She didn't address Hibari-san again or even dared to look back. Chrome walked right to the door, fingers on the handle to slide it back only to come across an unforeseen obstacle: Hibari's right hand holding the barrier in place.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She blinked dumbly for a moment, still staring at the door, "O-outside?" Chrome replied.

"You will be leaving with us."

Oh right. How could she be so stupid? Walking out alone would draw attention to the school. Maybe she could ask if there were any secret passages- either those left by Reborn-san when Boss attended or something Hibari-san had secreted away.

Then again, maybe not, because after an hour of waiting in the tense and silent room, the quiet only interrupted by Lambo's occasional hiccuping sobs; they were given the all clear by one of Hibari's men. And all four of them walked outside the school, in broad daylight and terrifyingly exposed.

'It's okay. We'll be fine, because Hibari-san is with us.' Chrome kept telling herself while clinging to the solid body of her trident. Her cheeks were sore on the inside and tasting like blood by the time they reached the car.

One by one they filed inside. As if by instinct, Chrome found herself sandwiched between I Pin and Lambo on one end of the limousine; while Hibari had the whole back seat to himself; it was if they all instinctively knew he wouldn't put up with them crowding around him.

So they huddled together, like little frightened forest creatures being watched over by an oddly benevolent hawk. Nevertheless, Hibari-san was still a hawk.

The drive from Nami-chu to the shrine was much longer than the miles told of, mostly because Chrome tried to keep her clammy hands on the teenagers. I Pin finally responded with return squeezes, yet there was a distant glaze in her eyes which caused the woman's heart to contract. Lambo was still sniffling, Chrome was sure his shirt sleeves were soaked, yet he quieted down from the initial outburst.

Stepping out again, Chrome squinted against sunlight to see the shrine ahead of them. She couldn't help but wonder why they were there. Hibari-san didn't strike her as the religious type of any stripe.

Then again neither was she, despite Mukuro's firm belief in reincarnation. There was always a method to Hibari-san's madness though, so Chrome did what she did best: have faith.

She and the teenagers kept several steps behind, their hands still interlocked as they followed Hibari-san from a distance up the shrine steps.

Chrome blinked as a door which was not there before, suddenly appeared. Was this a…illusion? No. Probably something sort of technology cloaking device, since Hibari-san had the Cloud attribute. Even if he could use Mist flame, Chrome firmly believed he would never use it, out of principal.

Yet even with the young woman explaining to herself that technology cloaking a secret entrance was not the same thing, a part of her still lingered on the fact Hibari-san had hidden something. Granted, it was in plain sight; still it was a surprise.

'Then again, when has he been 'predictable'?' Chrome asked herself as she stared at the open doorway. One foot inside, the other still lingering out, I Pin and Lambo had already released her hands and were blindly following him.

Licking dry lips, Chrome knew this was it. She had to do more than have 'faith' in Hibari-san acting in their best interests. She had to trust him. Most people assumed faith and trust to be one in the same. Chrome, for one; begged to differ. For years she had absolute faith in Mukuro-sama, he kept her alive and gave a little girl purpose to keep on living. However, she never trusted him with all her secrets. Foolish, little girl secrets, but still nothing she could tell Mukuro-sama about.

Now, she was standing at the same crossroad. A lingering moment of doubt before pushing herself forward, because no one was going to pity her if she turned away from protection.

Hibari-san didn't lay down any rules. I Pin and Lambo were well beyond their rambunctious stage in life. And Chrome knew better than to pester. Still, she felt trapped not knowing what was expected of her. For all his mind games and playful irreverent banter, at least Chrome knew what Mukuro-sama wanted from her most of the time.

With Hibari-san, it was a mystery. So, rather than cracking the thin sheet of ice between Cloud and Mist, Chrome stayed secluded in her room for the first two weeks. I Pin came by a few times, sliding the door to the dark room. Probably to check to see if she was still breathing.

Chrome simply stared back, yet couldn't bring herself to speak or invite I Pin in.

How pathetic, Chrome would scold herself. In the past, I Pin was the one to coax her out of 'extreme funks'- as Ryohei-san put it. Despite being older than the teenager, Chrome often found I Pin holding her hand and guiding the woman through most social situations. And just when she could be the rock in I Pin's life, an older and mature confidant, Chrome knew she was failing miserably if the teen felt she had to conduct a bed-check.

The girl seemed to understand though, because each time she'd apologize for disturbing her, then slink back from the door and closed it again.

She ate very little and slept even less. Chrome tried contacting Mukuro-sama, only to find a wall blocking communication. She could only assume Mukuro-sama was using another one of his vessels to do something unscrupulous, thus he didn't want her interfering. Although the lack of communication bothered her, Chrome accepted his silence. She was alive and not in pain, so wherever or whatever he was doing, Mukuro-sama was alive and well.

That's all that mattered, so she wallowed in isolation and apathetic sloth. And perhaps would have stayed that way, if it weren't for a nocturnal visit from Hibari-san at the start of the third week.

Chrome, while on the cusp of sleep; heard the door opened but ignored it. However, she couldn't ignore it when the futon mattress was yanked right out from under her. Before she recovered from the shock of suddenly being bed-less, her chin hitting the floor was pretty jarring too; Chrome felt a vice-like grip clamp down on her right forearm.

She was dragged from the room and down the hall, before Chrome managed to stumble to her feet in an attempt to pull away. Once standing at full height, she saw Hibari-san at last. He did not look happy. And she was in deep trouble without even having to ask why.

He pulled her, barring any resistance she could offer up; through a door. The young woman blinked as she recognized the boxes and white walls of the Vongola hide out.

'So…Hibari-san's base is connected?' she marveled for a moment, only to be brought back to reality by a stinging pain in her arm. Hibari dragged her to one of the training rooms.

No warning. No eviscerating remarks or demands she do more than sulk, eat and sleep. Instead, Chrome's only got the picture when there was a purple flame inserted into a box before the ring shattered. A hedgehog appeared, spikes at the ready and rolling at her faster than Chrome could think.

She nearly lost a foot to a hedgehog spur, but the creature wheeled around in an attempt to get her in the thigh. Trembling, weak from self-imposed hunger and not enough rest, Chrome summoned up a trident. The metal prongs scrapped against hedgehog spikes but not enough force to push it back. It kept spinning, driving spikes closer and closer to her one 'good' eye.

Adrenaline over took common sense and she let the animal get close enough so she could catch its soft underside. The animal yelped, but then proceeded to multiply into two.

Needless to say, it was a long night for Chrome. Her only reprieve being Tetsu finding Hibari-san in the training room with her, a stunned silence came upon the right hand man, but he quickly recovered.

"Should I send someone in to clean up?"

"Leave her." Hibari-san said after summoning the hedgehogs back into their box. Once the door closed behind Kusakabe and Hibari, Chrome collapsed on the floor, body bent and everything hurt. And what wasn't throbbing in pain, bleed. She felt Mukuro-sama's presence pressing in. Probably wondering where the phantom pains were coming from, but she was too tired to feel elated or even respond.

She slipped off into a state of unconsciousness.

Only to wake up when a shoe pressed to her cheek, "Get up."

Her body screamed in rebellion, but Chrome knew better than to disobey an order from Hibari-san. Once she sat up, he shoved a handful of crackers into Chrome's hands and left a bottle of water beside her.

"Eat first then we'll start again."

Maybe she should have checked the water for poison or suspect the crackers to be nothing but sawdust. But, considering this was the closet thing to 'kindness' Hibari-san might ever show her again, Chrome ate the wheat cracker like they were a rare delicacy and the water a most expensive wine. Plus, she wanted to hold off fighting off those hedgehogs for as long as possible.

And thus they started a rather convoluted relationship.

Notes: Be on the look out for the next two parts, those will feature more Lambo and I Pin as well and be a bit longer than this intro.


	6. The One That Got Away: Part One

Part One: The One That Got Away

Rating: PG/K+

Theme: 53 Keeping A Secret- from the 1896 community

Setting: In between the infiltration of the Millefiore Base and Choice Battle (Future arc)

Warning: Cuteness and an abundance of fluff. Also a sprinkling of crack humor

Summary: Chrome Dokuro is a sucker for cute animals and Roll likes to eat Mist Flames for his lunches. Somehow they strike up a friendship, much to Hibari's annoyance.

The Cloud Hedgehog, as fierce as it was unassuming, had a minor flaw in it's' design. Namely, it tended to replicate out of control sometimes. Thus making it difficult to keep track of how many had to be summoned back into the Cloud Box.

One little enterprising hedgehog decided to simply lay low while it's 'brothers' and 'sisters' were summoned back into their container. Beady eyes watched from underneath a low-sitting table as it's owner and a laughing blond haired man conversed –or rather the blond talked and the master gripped two metal batons as if about to strike.

After the humans left the room, the Cloud hedgehog first stuck out a long snout, nose aquiver, before scurrying out. It looked around the room, blinking at harsh sunlight before sniffing and rooting around for some place dark and cool to rest.

The hedgehog managed to wiggle its way into a shoe closet, determined not to emerge until evening. However it's plans were disrupted by a tall man- with a horizontal style of hair- opened up to get a pair of shoes out.

The Cloud hedgehog ambled out before the door shuttered close again. It followed the tall man to a set of doors which slid open after he punched numbers into a keypad. A whole new world opened up to the hedgehog with a 'whoosh'. It was brighter with florescent lights hanging above. Lots of boxes piled high and standing against the walls (perfect crawl spaces for a little insectivore). Speaking of insects, the hedgehog made a feast of bugs it came across.

While the six-legged snacks were welcomed, it actually needed Ring Flames for a sustainable food source, so the hedgehog rooted around for a suitable human source. The hedgehog stopped in its trek when it saw three humans crowded around a door.

"Chrome-chan…please come out, you don't need to hide in your room all the time."

"That's right! Everyone would like to see you come to dinner at least once."

The tinniest human said something as well and jumped to tap on the door. After two minutes and still no answer from the occupant, the girls gave up trying.

"We can at least leave her a sandwich here" one suggested while the golden haired female nodded.

After they left the tray of food down and walked away, the hedgehog hesitantly wiggled out from being wedged between boxes. It was about to scurry right past the door until the barrier opened. Too late to turn and crawl between the boxes again, the hedgehog froze like a deer in headlights.

Luckily, the human didn't even notice. Instead, she looked at the plate, picked up the tray and turned to walk back inside. Before she closed the door though, the Cloud hedgehog squeezed in between door and frame.

While the human female unwrapped cellophane covering the sandwich, the hedgehog tucked itself underneath the cot she sat down on. It waited until the empty plate was put down and the girl returned to the cot.

Minutes ticked by until the ingenious hedgehog devised a way to climb up onto the cot (grip onto the bag, climb on the box and make a leap-then barrel roll onto the pillow). For its' near acrobatic feat, the box animal was rewarded with an ignited Ring Flame.

It wasn't the same type as the hedgehog's master, but beggars couldn't be choosers at this point. The tip of a tongue slipped out, tentatively tasting the Mist flame which remained stable and strong even after taking, pardon the pun; a licking.

While the hedgehog cringed away and hid under pillows when the human shifted in her sleep, for the most part it remained hovering around the Mist ring to devour the flames until full and sleepy.

Drowsy eyes closed as the hedgehog named Roll curled up close beside the female Mist Guardian.

Chrome woke up a couple hours later to find a breathing ball of spikes lying dangerously close to her remaining eye. Scooting away from the hedgehog, Chrome wondered how on earth something like this got underground.

"…are hedgehogs even native to Japan?" she asked aloud. Since there was no one around to answer her, Chrome let the inquiry drop in favor of mildly harassing her bed-mate by poking its' nose.

Roll sneezed so hard beady black eyes opened. It took one look at the curious human then rolled up into an armored ball, nose still sticking out.

"…you missed a spot" Chrome mumbled before poking the protruding proboscis. Roll sneezed again then curled in tighter to hide its' nose. Now that there was a spiky land urchin on her pillow, Chrome decided her nap was over.

She glanced to the box had given to her by Dino-san to practice. He said it belonged to the Mist Arcobaleno, Mammon; whom she had fought before.

'Maybe that's why it won't open' Chrome mused only to recant her theory while looking down at her Vongola Ring.

'It's not working because I'm not strong enough.' Chrome admitted to herself. Putting a hand on the cot, Chrome reached for the Mammon box and sat with it in her lap.

Eye closed, Chrome tried to concentrate on increasing the intensity of her Ring Flame. In the next second, her left eye opened wide as something licked her hand.

Looking down, she saw the hedgehog was greedily licking at the Mist Flames.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. The sound of the girl's voice caused it to roll up again, spikes out as if daring her to get close enough to touch.

"What do hedgehogs eat?" Chrome asked while knowing she wouldn't find an answer inside an empty room.

There was a private library inside the secret base, so that seemed like a good place to start. After all, it appeared the creature had adopted her first, so Chrome felt responsible for taking care of the skittish hedgehog.

Now to tackle the first problem: How to hold and carry a wiggling ball of barbs…

Notes: Just as taste of what I'm doing for this ficlet. This will be a very short -three parts at most- and will be centered around Roll, Chrome and Hibari, with appearances from other Reborn characters.


End file.
